BRICS leaders will meet in an emergency video conference on November 21 to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the Gaza Strip, and come up with a common response to the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas that has lasted more than six weeks.

The emergency BRICS summit was initiated by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on November 20.

Earlier in the day, the press service of President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, which holds the rotating BRICS presidency, said that along with the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the new members of the group (BRICS+) – including Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – were invited to attend the extraordinary meeting.

The Kremlin press service confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the online conference, Russian news agency TASS reported on November 20.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on November 20 that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the conference, state news agency Xinhua reported.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend the meeting and is expected to issue a joint statement.

In addition, the leader of Egypt, which has the Rafah border crossing to the Gaza Strip, will also attend the event despite not being a member of BRICS or BRICS+, according to The New Arab, a website specializing in reporting on the Middle East-North Africa region.

The latest wave of conflict erupted in the Middle East on October 7 after militants from the Palestinian extremist group Hamas based in the Gaza Strip launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory, killing at least 1,200 people in residential areas of the Jewish state and taking more than 200 hostage.

Israel has imposed a blockade on the entire Gaza Strip and launched bombardments on the enclave as well as parts of Lebanon and Syria, as well as a ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Clashes have also been reported in the West Bank.

After more than six weeks of conflict, the death toll in the Gaza Strip has reached 13,000, including 5,500 children and 3,500 women, Anadolu news agency reported, citing local authorities, on November 19 .

Minh Duc (According to TASS, Xinhua, New Arab, Anadolu Agency)